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REVIEW: Video Librarian

Tulips of Skagit Valley, Washington

Beautifully filmed in Widescreen digital high definition and backed with a Dolby stereo soundtrack, Tulips of Skagit Valley, Washington offers dew-covered close-ups of a dazzling array of tulips, with the camera lingering over the likes of “Abigail” and “Monte Carlo” and “Zurel” among the staggering display of varieties found in this

fertile valley setting. During a couple of weeks each April, hundreds of acres in Washington state’s Skagit Valley boast over three million blooming bulbs, and the place is alive with the sounds of camera shutters clicking & nearly half a million tourists “ooh”ing and “ah”-ing over the flower that had Tiny Tim tiptoeing. Viewers see the gorgeous spring explosion of color, followed by the fading bloom and summer harvest, as bulbs are dug up, cleaned, sorted, and stored for either selling or replanting the following fall. We also meet the DeGoede family, owners and operators of “Tulip Town,” and learn about the hard work involved in bulb cultivation, marketing, selling and shipping, as well as the need to add a “surprise element” year after year to keep the tourists coming back (such as the horse-drawn Tulip Trolley, the inside Beer Garden, hamburger stands, kite stores, water wheel, windmill, and gift shops). In addition, the program features a segment on home gardening with tips for successfully planting tulips, and the DVD version includes a charming bonus conversation with Anthony and Jeannette DeGoede. A visual love letter to the region, backed with charming music, this is sure to appeal to both armchair travelers and gardening buffs. Highly Recommended.

REVIEW: Library Journal

Tulips of Skagit Valley, Washington

Tiptoe through the tulips? Perhaps. The sight of endless fields of beautiful tulips at the Skagit Valley Tulip Festival in Washington State invites us to do just that. Although much time is consumed with beautifully composed shots of perfect blooms, the video also documents the planting, growing, harvesting and selling of tulip bulbs for the consumer. Also, the home gardener is briefly shown how to plant and grow tulips properly, and there are good tips that are not always found in gardening books (e.g. if you are planting tulips as a border, position the bulbs in the holes so that the flat side of the bulb points toward the edge of the flower bed: the leaves will grow out in that direction, and the plants will look nicer). The technical aspects of the production are solid. Though this video could appeal to tulip enthusiasts, it was apparently produced primarily for sale to tourists attending the valley’s annual festival, making it a marginal purchase for most libraries. Purchase if strong interest warrants.an range.

BTN REVIEW: Video Librarian

Bhutan...Land of the Thunder Dragon

One of my favorite books growing up was James Hilton’s Lost Horizon, in which survivors from a plane crash on the Tibetan plateau find themselves in Shangri-la, a mythical city where no one ever ages. In 1996, while visiting the Himalayan kingdom of Nepal, I met some fellow travelers who talked about the real shangri-la, a living museum called Bhutan, where the people still

followed the ways of their ancestors by growing their own food, spinning and dying their own thread, and making their own clothes. In Bhutan...Land of the Thunder Dragon, filmmakers Jim and Kelly Watt--who were allowed unprecedented access to this remote and isolated country (in fact, Bhutan’s king has only recently opened the borders to tourism) located between Tibet and India--provide viewers with a colorful and insightful look at this little-known society where the people still wear (admittedly by order of law) their traditional garments and live by the same Buddhist precepts as their forefathers. Nicely shot, and completely devoid of the Western prejudices found in similar productions, this lovely travel video shows Bhutan for what it is: a jewel of the Himalayan range. Sure to be a popular addition, this off the beaten track travelogue is definitely recommended. Aud: H, P. (J. Asala) (4 stars=Excellent, highest rating)

BTN REVIEW: School Library Journal

Bhutan...Land of the Thunder Dragon

Gr 8 Up--This leisurely tour of India’s neighbor, Bhutan, A Himalayan monarchy the size of Switzerland, introduces a country that has changed minimally in hundreds of years. Recently, along with roads and TV, the country is encouraging tourism. Scenery includes 25,000 feet high mountains, dramatic waterfalls, forests rich in diverse plants and animals, 16th century fortresses, and Buddhist temples. In primitive villages, it’s a subsistence living with people growing or making almost everything they use. There are scenes of homebuilding, farming, weaving, a school and local markets. A tourist fishing and a national archery competition round out the tour. It would have been interesting to see where and how the king lives, but that might have sounded a negative note in this touristic overview. A narrator describes the varied scenes with some comments by a national. The photography is

excellent; there is some spectacular scenery, but there are also slow sections showing farming and other basic activities. While this is more of a video to attract tourists than an educational production, it does provide a picture of a unique country that Americans know very little about-(Anitra Gordon, Lincoln High School, Ypsilanti, MI)

BTN REVIEW: Teacher Librarian

Bhutan...Land of the Thunder Dragon

A beautifully produced documentary delving into the history and cultural traditions of the Kingdom of Bhutan.

Sweet Addition

REVIEW: Video Librarian

Baking with Sweet Addition’s

Karen Young: Elegant Pastries

...it showcases enough interesting creations to inspire seasoned culinary vets to design their own eye-popping pastries... Aud: P. (N. Plympton) (4 stars=Excellent,

highest rating)